My build has finally begun and in this post I will take you on the building journey. Make sure you have read part 1 here , part 2 here , part 3 here

Lifting it up in the shed

It’s been some time since my last update. The machine is complete, but it’s worth noting that I had to construct a shed specifically to accommodate it; the machine proved too large for the existing brick structure.

I bought a garage “engine block” crane to lift the approximately 350kg structure in the shed. You really notice that using the right tools in a situation likes this makes huge amount of difference.

Replication method at work

After moving and leveling the machine I had to make the surface of the aluminium extrusion flat in order to mount the rails to it.

It is a bit of a messy situation but hey! it works.

After making the surface flat I cut out the slot with a hot-knife in order to mount my rails to it.

Adjusting the gantry level

I used the metal epoxy “gap filling” method to level the gantry vs the Y1 and Y2 gantry rails:

I used Mirror glaze wax release on the gantry to make sure it just fills the gap and does not stick to the gantry extrusion itself. Not this works REALLY well!

After making sure it is level, I let it cure.

in a Dan Gilbart video I recently learned to make figure 8 motions when doing this. I tried it out and noticed it worked well. I did not actually check it on the surface plate but you notice that the surface is quite flat. Within >=0.0x mm I would estimate. Good enough for this part.

Mirror Glaze

Mirror Glaze Wax release; 16$

Aliexpress.com

Fixing the electronics

I decided to rewire the electronics from scratch. It worked out quite well I must say!

After I wired most of it on the desk I hung it on the wall and started connecting it to the CNC.

Finishing the mechanics

I kinda dropped and messed up the C5 1605 nuts I had on my spindles. As they were already too short anyway I decided to pick up some new ones from Aliexpress:

I was seriously impressed with how riged the DFU version of the ballscrew feels. There is no play at all. I later on measured it on the CNC itself with load and you dont see it budge at all. I can really recommend these C5 1605 DFU screws from Yixindianqi Store on Aliexpress.

So after completing most of the electronics, I went off to mount the spindle and servo motors. Initially, I had put the MAKITA RT0700 router on there; but that died very quickly after a little accident when I crashed it into the toolsetter.

Because the design of my frame is more of an afterthought … I had to add some way to mount the fixture table/wasteboard on the CNC. While it is not ideal to weld on a relatively precise machine frame, it was still the easiest method to do it.

After completing this stage I mounted 36mm of MDF plate to it and went on to the next step

Many small steps in between

So as it goes in a project. you lose focus on documenting a bit and do all kind of small steps. During this time I got probe basic working well on the CNC, tuned the servos and did some final adjustments on the mechanics.

Tramming and aliging the axis

So as in any precision machine build where your mechanics are to perfect, you are going to have to adjust the tram and yaw of the spindle.

I started first with fixing the “nod” of the spindle by putting in a 10mm endmill upside down and using an indicator to make sure the measured distance stayed the same while moving the Z-axis up and down. This was relatively quick to be fixed.

For the trimming (rotation of Z spindle ) I did the following:

So I 3d printed a spacer so I could mount my indicator on the spindle. Turned it round to make sure the distance of the indicated stayed the same. As my z-axis is quite heavy, I found the use of a strap quite useful to slowly get it in the right spot.

Making chips!

After spending some more time with the machine I made another short video where I did some more drilling and milling

Can it mill hardened steel?

So a question that comes up quite a lot is if the Lusintun BT30 ATC spindle can mill steel? The answer is yes, the spindle itself is not the limit. The stiffness of the machine is.

I did some testing on some hardened steel to make sure it could handle normal steel with ease.

Conclusion – Mightymill build Part #4

Since part #3 quite a lot has happened. The machine is together, is working and performing pretty well. As this is the first full CNC build that I have done there are plenty of areas that need improvement. One of the main things is to make the Z-Axis stiffer and make a better connection from the gantry to the ballscrew.

Other than that I’m happy with how it performs!

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Introduction

In the realm of precision engineering, top-notch precision ground and lapped granite measuring parallels are essential for accurate and stable measuring and inspection processes. However, the cost of premium parallels can be prohibitive, ranging from $500 to $3,000, making it challenging for hobbyists and small-scale machinists.

Venturing into the world of affordable alternatives, I discovered Chinese granite parallels and decided to share my experience with these budget-friendly tools that exceeded my expectations.

Discovering and Ordering Chinese Granite Parallels

Navigating the complexities of ordering from a Chinese supplier that only communicates in Chinese and requires payment through a Chinese bank account [Insert my lovely wife here], I took a leap of faith and ordered a set of granite measuring parallels.

To save on shipping costs, I opted for the economical One Belt One Road rail transport initiative, which delivered the package to my doorstep within a month.

Upon unboxing the well-packaged granite parallels, I was impressed by their visual finish and clean, chamfered edges. Each parallel and granite square came with a factory measurement certificate, verifying their 000 grade (Chinese national standard) quality.

The granite parallels held up well within the tolerances specified by the manufacturer (at least how well you can measure using primitive tools). They were flat and parallel, indicating a high degree of precision.

Sharing My Findings with Friends

After validating the quality and performance of these affordable granite parallels, I shared my findings with friends in the machining community. Their interest led me to order more sets, which I distributed among them, receiving positive feedback on the value for money these Chinese granite parallels offered.

I ordered a few more sets and distributed them among my friends, who were equally impressed by the value for money these Chinese granite parallels offered. They have since become a popular choice among our community, especially for those seeking cost-effective options without compromising on quality.

One of my friends out of the machining community who got two parallels even made a video showing its performance:

[Note turn sound off!!]

Conclusion

My experience purchasing and testing Chinese granite measuring parallels has been enlightening, proving that budget-friendly alternatives can provide satisfactory results for hobbyists and small-scale machinists. While caution is necessary when purchasing from overseas suppliers, I believe it’s worth exploring affordable options like these Chinese granite parallels, as they can save you a significant amount of money without sacrificing quality.

In addition to my own positive experience, my friends in the machining community have also found these affordable granite parallels to be a game-changer in their work. These tools have enabled them to achieve high levels of accuracy and precision in their projects without breaking the bank.

Ultimately, the key takeaway is to keep an open mind when searching for affordable tools and equipment, as it’s possible to find hidden gems that offer excellent value for money. Chinese granite parallels are just one example of such a discovery that can benefit precision engineering enthusiasts on a budget.

Interested in Getting a Set?

Occasionally, I go through the trouble to import a batch of these parallels from China. If you’re interested, feel free to contact me through this page or on Discord. I will also be sending a set to a nationally recognized metrology lab to verify the factory’s measurement certificate.

Have you tried any budget-friendly tools that have exceeded your expectations? Share your experiences in the comments below!

My build has finally begun and in this post I will take you on the building journey. Make sure you have read part 1 here and part 2 here .

Assembling the machine frame

It took a while, but finally I was able to move the machine frame in my recently cleaned shed and get it assembled. For me, the concrete filled machine frame was one of the most time consuming aspects of this build.

The leg assembly was the most difficult to move. While I had put GD-60S wheels under it, it is till a top heavy assembly which weighs 120kg. With a bit of sweat and hurt, I was able to position it and get the assembly going.

I was able to assemble it without too much hassle. To get it all square I had to use the Farmer’s jack to pull the legs inward as there was a slight misalignment. After that it is square (diagonal measurement) within 1-2 mm over a span of 1.6 meters. Which is fine for this application.

It all seems to fit pretty well. Time to go on to the next step.

Lets “rise” up!

It was time to make the riser plates. I used my old and not so trusted HBM BF25 manual mill for this. It actually had lots of troubles during this process. Wobbliness … (DC) motor brushed dying, and other fun electronics issues… But i got it going again and was able to finish the job.

As you can see in the image, the side finish of my milling does not look very good. As I mentioned before my HBM bf25 is quite wobbly and not in a good state. There is still quite some play in the column and in the gibs even after tuning.

As the side surface is not a critical one for my application it is not too bad.

in a Dan Gilbart video I recently learned to make figure 8 motions when doing this. I tried it out and noticed it worked well. I did not actually check it on the surface plate but you notice that the surface is quite flat. Within >=0.0x mm I would estimate. Good enough for this part.

Whetstone set

This set of whetstones was affordable at 25$ and I was able to get it locally quickly.

Aliexpress.com

It all fit well without too many issues. With such precision applications be sure to torque bolts and screws correctly. It is essential that you do in precision applications to ensure equal load and proper contact between surfaces.

After this I also ran the whetstones over it quickly to remove all the burrs.

In addition to this I had to buy the following items:

I used some 3mm thick ground steel parallels for equal spacing vs the alu block.

I used this method to ensure that the side of the extrusions meet the adapter plate perfectly at the same reference plane.

Finally! it is starting to look like a CNC!

Conclusion – Mightymill build Part #3

Moving and re-assembling the machine frame was one of my biggest hurdles. But once I got going it went relatively smooth. The Farmer Jack’s helped a lot with this.

I ordered some new goodies such as Delta ASDA-M controller, 400W ECMA 20b optical encoder ac servo motors. A 1 meter 000 grade granite parallel (all surfaces) and some nice steel AC servo motor mounts. It is now all on the train from China. Hoping for it to arrive at the beginning of December.

The next step will be making the adapters for the ball screws and motors, mounting the extrusions to the table and making the z-axis adapter so it can all be mounted together.

Stay Tuned!

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My build has finally begun and in this post I will take you on the building journey. Make sure you have read part 1 here.

The heavy duty z-axis

Due to wanting to use a BT30 ATC spindle I had to upgrade to a heavy duty Z-axis. The design I opted for was originally designed by Crabs Shed. I optimized some small aspects of it and added it to my design.

Milling the z-axis plates

Crabs Shed was so kind to help me with milling the z-axis plates for my diy cnc build.

He even made a video of him milling it:

Initial measurements

One of the first things I did after receiving the plates was mounting my Sorotec Blue line HGR20 rails to it and measuring the (relative) flatness of the base plate versus it.

I quickly noticed that the leftover milling marks had a significant impact on the relative flatness of the mounting surface.

As the rails I uses are P – grade and my carriages have p1 preload it adds additional requirements on the rail mounting surfaces and alignment versus each other.

The image above gives you an indication regarding the accuracy of various parts of the rail and the various grades available. Regular Aliexpress “china” rails will be grade C or worse undefined.

I measured too much deviation of the z-axis mounting plate for my liking. I really wanted to keep this under 0.01mm or better hence I had to take it one step further.

Surface correction step #1

I got myself a set of whetstones from aliexpress in order to get rid of the milling marks and achier an overall surface which is more uniform.

In terms of improving the surface finish and flatness this did the most. It removed all the high spots and made the surface much more even.

Whetstone set

This set of whetstones was affordable at 25$ and I was able to get it locally quickly.

Aliexpress.com

Surface correction step #2

I got myself a small and affordable granite surface plate. It came with a full test certificate and all.

I got this since i wanted to scrape the high spots of the mounting surfaces flat.

In addition to this I had to buy the following items:

In total I spent about 2 hours of scraping. Can significantly speed it up if your initial plate is flatter or if you use power tools such as a dremel to do the difficult work for you.

I was not completely happy about the Diamant bluing paste. When indents get smaller than 0.01mm you will have a very hard time seeing it. There are better alternatives out there albeit those are difficult to get as an European.

When fully assembled, I measured the parallelity of the top plate vs the mounting surface of the Z-axis and it is well below 0.01mm. Good enough for me!

Mounting the Lusintun ATC spindle

Time to start drilling holes in the 100mm spindle mount.

The spindle mount was too tall so I could not fit a bigger size drill in my BF25L. So i had to put it on the side and ream it to the final size of 8.5mm.

How heavy is the Z-axis?

I would have guessed that it would have been heavier but 25.4kg it is!

New goodies

As I’m still waiting on quite a few milled parts for my cnc build I put my focus a bit on other aspects of the build.

HGR20 linear rails covers

To protect my nice precision and preloaded linear rails I know that I needed to get myself some linear rail protection. After looking on Aliexpress I found myself some.

I got 6 of the 600mm length ones. This is probably a bit too long for my build but I was afraid to get ones which were too short. It has many “internal supports”. This enables you to cut it to size when needed. You can find them here on Aliexpress.

Tool length measurement

In addition to that my tool length measurement sensor just came in. It seems like quite a solid and professional item. I also made a separate review of it. For those interested you can find it here.

Finishing up the machine frame

As I had too little concret last time, I went to Hornbach, got some more and finished up the second leg of the machine frame.

I cut some extra holes in the legs as I wanted to make sure it was completely filled.

After grinding it open I observed that it was completely filled. So there is no need for doing this. the total weight of a single concrete filled leg is 120kg now.

Mounting for the machine feet

I started cutting some 120x120mm squares out of 10mm thick steel plate to have a surface to mount my GD-60 levelling feet to.

After cutting and tapping it was time to grind off some paint from the legs and weld them to the frame. It made a little mess of my previously beautifully painted kern red paint.

I will have to clean up the spatter a bit and re-paint the damaged parts.

Conclusion – Mightymill build Part #2

Getting the z-axis mounting surfaces flat and dialed in was initially one of my bigger concerns. But after wet sanding it and scraping I was quite happy with the result.

Additionally I was able to make some progress regarding the machine frame.

Now it is finally ready to go to the next step and that is mounting and aligning the alu extrusions and rails to each other. And start making my design into reality.

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